Voting-machine.



S. R. SHOUP.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.30, 1907.

932,91 5. Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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S. R. SHOUP.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1907. 932,9 1 5.

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Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1907 932,91 5, Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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7 lines 7 UNITED- STATES PATENT @FFICE.

SAMUEL R. SHOUP, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

VOTING-MACHINE T all who-m it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. SHOUP, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at I-Ioboken, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVoting-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to voting machines and particularly to a machineof the character described in my Patents Kos. 852,911 and 853,127 uponwhich the devices forming the subject (it this application areimprovements.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical transverseelevation through portion of the machine showing my improvement appliedthereto; Fig. '2 is a broken vertical section of portion of the machine;Fig. 3 a broken plan view showing one of the voting spindles and thenumbering head mechanism and the indicator; Fig. 1 is a perspective ofportion of the device; Figs. and (3 are side elevations of details;Figs. 7 and S are cross se -tions of the same on the 7 and 88respectively on Figs. and (i; Fig. 0 is a front elevation with the frontplate removed illustrating another improvement; Fig. 10 is a plan viewo't portion of the machine illustrating the same teature; Fig. 11 is arear sectional elevation of the machine partially broken away; and Fig.12 is a trout ele 'ation of the indicating wheel.

The main improveinnt which I have made in the machine described in theabove mentioned patents has for its purpose the pro vision of meanswhereby a voter may change his choice of candidates without spoiling orlosing his ballot while I at the same time positively prevent anypossibility of double voting. To this end I eliminate from my oidmachine the ratchet and pawl mechanism tor the interlocking bars-thusgiving the voter perfect freedom to rotate the voting knob (or lever,which I prefer to use) in either direction, to vote or unvote a givencandidate and choose another, as often as he will. I he interlockingbars meshing with the segmental gearing on the spindle, move backwardand forward as the spindle is rotated in one direction or the other,without impediment. I retain however the segmental gearing between theknob spindle and the interlocking bars. and the rest of the mechanismsubstantially as described in Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 30, 1907.

where this is called for by the ticket.

Serial No. 390,799.

my earlier patents, to prevent a voter from voting the same candidatetwice or more than one candidate in a single group, except In connectionwith this change I eliminate also the gear between the knob spindle andthe numbering head, so that the rotation of the spindle has no ettectwhatever upon the vote registering mechanism. and I substitute a newdevice by which the vote is not cast until the entire ballot has beenmarked to the satisfaction of the voter. This mechanism readilyunderstood by reference to the drawings.

Below and normally out of gear with the teeth on the first or unit wheel50 of the numbered head I support a rack section 11 (Figs. 1 and a) on acarrier or yoke The upper portion of the yoke, which is provided with aboss or shoulder 16, extends above the voting lever spindle 13, whichmay conveniently pass through a slot in the same and carry the wheels ofthe numbering head as described in my above mentioned patents. On thelever spindle and working beneath the shoulder 16 I mount a cam adapted,upon rotation of the spindle, to lift the yoke and the rack section 11,carried thereby, so that the latter comes into gear with the teeth onthe unit wheel (see lowest spindle Fig. 1). It is thus apparent that themovement of the voting lever in my improved machine does no more thanlift the rack 11 into gear with the unit wheel of the numbering head,that is amounts to nothing more than the marking of a ballot which maybe changed (by returning the lever to its not-voted position and therebylowering the rack out of gear with the unit wheel) as often as thevoters fancy dictates. A voter therefore, when he has designated hisfinal choice of candidates on the ticket has not yet voted a single one.His ballot is not yet cast To secure the register of the ballot Iutilize one of the elements of my old machine and add thereto certainnew ones which will be readily understood. In my old machine I employedthe cam bar 20 (Figs. 2 and 11) for two purposes. on the resetting ofthe machine to lift the pawls out of engagement with the interlockingbars so as to permit a free return movement of the latter and (2) toactuate the adjusting bar 51 (Fig. 11) which trues the notches in theinterlocking bars beneath the segmental gears Patented Au 81, 1909.

on the voting spindles. For the latter purpose I employed two horizontalbars 17 secured at one end to the adjusting bar 51 and working at theirother ends in angled slots in the cam bar 20. The vertical movement ofthe cam bar 20 imparts a transverse horizontal movement to the bars 17.This movement of the bars 17 I now utilize to actuate the registeringmechanism, and employ for this purpose a frame corresponding'to theadjusting bar 51 but carried at the other ends of the bars 17. To thisframe 52 at one end and to the adjusting bar 51 at the other end Isecure horizontal bars 17 for every tier of voting spindles and placethese 17 adjacent to the rack sections 11, a convenient assembling ofthe parts being shown in Fig. 1 in which the horizontal bars 17 arelocated in an offset in the yoke 12. Pins 18 on the bars 17 working inslots in the rack sections establish an operative connection between therack sections and the bars 17 for horizontal motion, while the racksection is free to move vertically into gear with the teeth on the unitwheel 50 under the influence of the cam 15. It is thus apparent thatupon the first movement of the resetting mechanism that is upon thepulling out of the slotted handle 53, the cam bar 20, through the bars17 carrying the vertical pieces 51 and 52 and the horizontal bars 17,imparts a horizontal movement to all the rack sections 11 on themachine. Those that have been brought into gear with the unitwheelsthrough the rotation of the spindles by the various voting levers,revolve said unit wheels and thus register the vote. The length of thishorizontal movement may be regulated by the length and angle of theangled slot in the bar 20.

Were the rack section 11 to remain in gear with the unit wheel-duringthe completion 7 of the resetting movement, it is obvious that on thereturn of the bar 17 as the handle is pushed in again, the section wouldbe returned with it, the unit wheel revolved backward and the vote thusnullified. To obviate this diiiiculty, I employ a device by which anearly return of the voting levers to position is secured and thereby thecams on the lever spindles revolve so that the rack section is loweredout of gear with the unit wheel before the return movement of the bars17 carrying said sections. For this purpose, I extend the teeth of thesegmental gear wheels on the voting spindle partially around thecircumference of one or all of the wheels in each set, so that at leastone wheel of each set is kept in gear with one of the interlocking barsto the end of the limited angular voting movement of the voting lever.The return of the interlocking bars under the action of the principalcam bar 54: serves to return the levers which have been voted and aretherefore in gear with the interlocking bars, to their normal position.It will be noted that as in my old machine, the angled slot in theresetting bar gives an earlier movement to the cam bar 20, whichactuates the bar 17, than to the cam bar 5% which acts upon theinterlocking bars. Consequently the rack sections are first movedhorizontally while they are in gear with the unit wheels, during thefirst portion of the outward stroke of the resetting bar, and thenduring the latter portion of this stroke, and before the return stroke,are lowered out of gear as the cam bar 51 comes into operation to returnthe interlocking bars and the voting levers to their original positions.

To prevent any possible tampering with the numbering head, I provide atooth 1G on the yoke 12, which engages the teeth on the upper side ofthe unit wheel as the rack is being lowered out of gear with the teethon the lower portion. The unit wheel is thus locked against rotationexcept when the rack alone is geared therewith.

In connection with the return movement of the voting levers to position,a further feature of the device should be pointed out. Inasmuch as thereturn of the handles is effected through their gear with theinterlocking bars during the voting rotation, care must be taken tocarry the return strok of the interlocking bars through far enough tothrow the teeth of the segmental gears on the spindles out of gear withthe interlocking bars. )therwise upon the rotation of the voting spindlefor any candidate in a group, the other spindles, remaining in gear withthe interlocking bars, would prevent the movement of the latter. This isobviated by making the return stroke of the interlocking bars longerthan is necessary to return the voting levers to position, and thentruing the bars to position under the segmental gearing by the movementof the truing bar 51. lVhile this return rotation of the voting spindlesto normal position by keeping them in gear with the lock bars, as aboveexplained, is thoroughly etiicacious when but a single candidate is tobe voted for in a single group, it is not possible to utilize this meanswhen two or more in the same group are to be voted for, by reason of theinterference of the different combinations of gearing between eachspindle of the segmental. gears and the interlocking bars. Thisditliculty is overcome by returning the spindles in such a group throughthe gear not with the interlocking bars but with the individual bars 00for the particular candidates voted. The gear between the variousspindles and the bars 00 may be kept continuous since each one of thesebars is subject to the action of only a single spindle. To permit ofutilizing these individual bars for the return of the voting spindles totheir original position however, it is obviously necesthe machine isbeing reset.

sary to throw the interlocking bars out of gear with the voting spindle.This I accomplish by offsetting the supporting bracket 25 beneath theinterlocking bars, and normally supporting the latter in gear with thepinions 26 on the spindle by means of arms 27 on vertical bars 28. Thesebars are held in position by pins 29 in the front frame of the machineworking in slots 30 in the bars. The vertical movement of the latter isaccomplished through pins 31 working in angled slots 32 in one of thebars 17 which is located at this point. @n the resetting of the machineit is thus seen that the preliminary movement of the bar 20 not onlyeffects the record of the vote through the lateral movement of the bars17, but one of the latter is utilized to drop the interlocking bars outof position when necessary, before the cam bar 51 comes into play toforce all the interlocking bars back to their original position.

In addition to the mechanism above described by which I enable a voterto change his choice of candidates as he pleases while still preventingfraudulent voting by the same devices which I previously employed, Ihave found it desirable to add certain indicating features to themachine to enable the voter to be sure that his vote has beenregistered.

In Figs. 3 and 12 I have shown a pinion 33 geared to the unit wheel ofthe numbering mechanism and mounted on a spindle 3st which extendsthrough to the face of the machine where a disk 35 is mounted on thespindle; As the numbering wheel revolves, the disk 35 is revolved sothat if the latter is provided with dots the voter can readily observeby the movement of the wheel whether or not his vote is being counted onthe numbering wheels. In my old machine this would be observed as thevoting knob is being turned; in my new machine not until In addition tothis I think it, wise to provide a device by which a voter, particularlyone who splits his ticket, can tell at a glance for what offices he hasvoted. In Figs. 5) and 10 is shown a series of semaphores pivoted on thefront plate of the machine and operated by pins on the interlockingbars. As the interlocking bars are moved by the revolution of the votingknob or lever the pin 38 extending through a slot in the front casing ofthe machine engages the short arm 3:) of the semaphore and thus rocksthe long arm lO. A glance at the row of semaphores shows at once whetheror not any of the otiices has been missed in the voting. An arrangementis also made to actuate all the semaphores for party ottices inconnection with the interlocking bars for the straight ticket. In astraight ticket this has the advanta of calling the voters aQtention toconstitutional and other questions not yet voted upon, as the semaphoresfor which at once indicate. For this purpose the semaphore actuated bythe pin on the interlocking bar for the straight ticket is provided atthe end of the long arm with a pin i3. A perpendicular bar it carryingpins at?) working through slots in the front plate and beneath the longarms of the semaphores is subjected to the action of the pin +53 so thatin the case of a straight vote all the semaphores for party offices willbe raised.

lVhile the present invention has been shown applied to the machinedescribed in my patents above mentioned, I do not limit myself to thisparticular construction but claim the same applied to any machinefalling within the scope of the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a gear normally out of operative connection therewith, meansin connection with the actuation of said voting spindle for establishingsaid operative connection between said gear and registering mechanismand means for moving said parts with relation to each other to actuatethe registering mechanism.

2. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapt ed to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a gear normally out of operative connection therewith, cammeans in connection with the actuation of said voting spindle forestablishing said operative connection between said go; 1' andregisteringmechanism and means for moving said parts with relation toeach other to actuate the registering mechanism.

In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent hereto adapted to be engaged by saidgear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanisn'i, a gear normally out of operative connection therewith, acam on said voting spindle and means in connection therewith forestablishing an operative connection between said rack and registeringmechanism upon the rotation of said voting spindle, and means for movingsaid parts with relation to each other to actuate the registeringmechanism.

a. In a voting machine. a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a registering mechanismnormally disconnected from operating means, means in connection with theactuation of the voting spindle for bringing said registering mechanisminto connection with operating mechanism and means for actuating saidoperating mechanism.

In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with ear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a sectional rack normally out of operative connectiontherewith, means in connection wit-h the actuation of said votingspindle for establishing said operative connection between saidsectional rack and registering mechanism and means for moving said partswith relation to each other to actuate the registering mechanism.

6. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a gear normally out of operative connection therewith, meansin connection with the actuation of said voting spindle for establishingsaid operative connection between said gear and registering mechanismand means for moving said parts with relation to each other to actuatethe registering mechanism, together with means for locking saidregistering mechanism when out of engagement with said rack.

7. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a gear normally out of operative connection therewith, meansin connection with the actuation of said voting spindle for establishingsaid operative connection between said gear and registering mechanismand means for moving said parts with relation to each other to actuatethe registering mechanism, together with a locking gear and means forengaging the registering mechanism thereby except when the latter isengaged by the actuating means alone.

8. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism mounted in a stationary frame, a gear normally out ofoperative connection therewith, a movable carrier for said gear andmeans in connection with the actuation of the voting spindle for movingsaid carrier so as to bring said gear into engagement with saidregistering mechanism and means to move said gear so as to actuate thelatter, substantially as described.

9. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a series ofinterlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism mounted in a stationary frame, a gear normally out ofoperative connection therewith, a movable carrier connected withlostmotion to said gear and means in c011- nection with the actuation ofthe voting spindle for moving said carrier so as to bring said gear intoengagement with said registering mechanism and means to move said gearso as to actuate the latter, substantially as described.

10. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a seriesof interlocking bars arranged adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism 02 "ried by a stationary frame, a sectional rack normally outof engagement therewith for operating the same, a carrier connected withlost motion to said rack, means in connection with the actuation of saidspindle for bringing said sectional rack into engagement with saidregistering mechanism and means for moving said rack while so engaged toactuate the registering mechanism.

11. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with gear, a seriesof interlocking bars arran ed adjacent thereto adapted to be engaged bysaid gear upon the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism carried by a stationary frame, a sectional rack normally outof engagement therewith for operating the same, a carrier connected withlost motion to said rack, a cam on the voting spindle engaging saidcarrier whereby said rack is moved into engagement with the registeringmechanism upon the actuation of the voting spindle and means for movingsaid rack while so engaged to actuate the registering mechanism.

12. In av voting machine, a registering mechanism, a sectional racknormally out of engagement therewith, means to bring the same intoengagement therewith upon the actuation of the voting lever, incombination with a bar connected with lost motion to said rack, aresetting mechanism, and means in connection with the same for movingsaid bar while the rack is in engagement with the registering mechanism,whereby the latter is actuated, substantially as described.

13. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be rotated by the voter, aslidable bar supported beneath said spindle, means for moving said barby the rotation of the spindle and a resetting mechanism for the machineadapted to return said spindle to its original position through itsoperative connection with said bar.

1 In a voting machine, a spindle carrying a gear adapted to be rotatedby the voter, a slidable bar supported adjacent I thereto and providedwith teeth adapted to be engaged by said gear, whereby said bar isactuated upon the rotation of said spindle and a resetting mechanismadapted to return said spindle to its original position through itsoperative connection with said bar.

15. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be rotated by the voter,slidable bars supported beneath said spindle, means for moving said barson the rotation of the spindle, means to return the spindle to positionthrough its operative connection with certain of said bars, and meansfor breaking the connection between certain others of said bars and thespindle before the return movement of said bars.

16. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be rotated by the voter,slidable interlocking bars engaged by said spindle and adapted to bemoved thereby, a cam bar adapted to return said interlocking bars totheir original position and means for breaking the engagement betweencertain of said bars and the spindle before the return movement of theformer.

17. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be rotated by the voter,slidable interlocking bars engaged by said spindle and adapted to bemoved thereby, a stationary support for certain of said bars, a movablesupport for certain others of said bars, in combination with a cam barfor returning said interlocking bars to their original position, andmeans in connection with the actuation of said cam bar for moving thesupport of certain of said interlocking bars, whereby their engagementwith the spindle is broken before their return movement begins,substantially as described.

18. In a voting machine, a voting spindle provided with a gear, a seriesof interlocking bars to gear therewith, means for moving the samehorizontally through the actuation of the voting machine, means forreturning the same beyond their original position and out of gear withsaid voting spindle, and means to adjust the same beneath the gear ofthe voting spindle so that upon rotation of the latter the gearsintermesh.

19. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be actuated by the voter,a cooperating concealed registering mechanism, an indicating wheelvisible to the voter, and means for operating the latter from the unitmember of the registering mechanism.

20. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be actuated by the voter,a cooperating concealed registering mechanism, a spindle carrying anindicating device visible to the voter and means for operating thelatter from the unit member of the registering mechanism.

21. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be actuated by the voter,a slidable bar engaged by said spindle, an indicating semaphore andmeans in connection with said slidable bar for actuating the latter onthe actuation of the spindle.

22. In a voting machine, spindles adapted to be actuated by the voter, agroup of indi cators having a single indicator for each oiiice to bevoted and means for operating the indicator for each oitice inconnection with the actuation of the voting spindle for any one of thecandidates for said otlice, substantially as described.

23. In a voting machine, a straight ticket spindle and individualspindles for the oiiices to be voted, a group of indicators for the saidotlices and means for actuating said group of indicators in connectionwit-h the actuation of said straight ticket spindle.

24. In a voting machine, a spindle adapted to be rotated by the voter,slidable interlock ing bars supported adjacent thereto, means for movingsaid bars by the rotation of said spindle, a gear actuated registeringmechanism, a sectional rack normally out of engagement with the same,means in connection with the rotation of said spindle for bringing saidrack into engagement with said registering mechanism, means for movingsaid rack while so engaged to actuate said registering mechanism, meansto break operative connection between certain of said interlocking barsand said spindle, means to break operative connection between said rackand registering mechanism, means to return all of said interlocking barsto original position and means in connection therewith to return saidrack and spindle to their original positions respectively, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL R. SHOUP.

Vitn esses WILLIAM ABBE, L. H. GRoTE.

